Engineering Georgia January/February 2018 : Page 7

The Pulse | NEWS BRIEFS ATLANTA-BASED PERRYCRABB MERGES WITH MAZZETTI INC. Engineering firm PerryCrabb, which has designed and served healthcare facilities in the Southeast since 1959, announced it will merge with San Francisco-based Mazzetti Inc., a global MEP engineering and technology consulting firm. The joint firm will go by Mazzetti|PerryCrabb in the Atlanta market for one year, before permanently taking the Mazzetti name. BARGE, WAGGONER, SUMNER AND CANNON, INC. REBRANDS TO BARGE DESIGN SOLUTIONS After more than 60 years, engineering and architectural firm Barge, Waggoner, Sumner and Cannon, Inc. announced it will re-brand as Barge Design Solutions. In addition to the new name, the firm has launched a new website and logo, as well as signage at each of its 14 offices across five states. BURNS & MCDONNELL EXPANDS OPERATIONS IN METRO ATLANTA The 100 percent employee-owned global engineering, architecture, construction, environmental and consulting firm hired its 100th employee-owner in Atlanta in late 2017 and announced plans to grow the location’s workforce by up to 30 percent this year. The office has successfully managed nearly $160 million in projects, including Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Boeing, Duke Energy and Southern Company. CHRIS TOMLINSON TAPPED FOR IBTAA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE ROLE Executive Director for the State Road and Tollway Authority, Chris Tomlinson has been selected to serve on the Executive Committee for The International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA) as First Vice President. IBTTA is a worldwide association for the owners and operators of toll facilities and the businesses that serve them. Tomlinson previously served on the association’s Board of Directors and will assume the role of President in 2019. GRETCHEN CORBIN LEAVES TCSG FOR GEORGIA LOTTERY Governor Nathan Deal selected Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) Commissioner Gretchen Corbin to head the Georgia Lottery after former President Debbie Alford, who has held the position since 2012, announced her retirement. Effective January 1, 2018, Corbin will replace Alford to lead the agency that raises money for the HOPE scholarship and prekindergarten classes in the state. Matt Arthur, former Deputy Commissioner, now serves as Corbin's replacement. JACOBS COMPLETES ACQUISITION OF CH2M Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. formalized its acquisition of CH2M on December 15, 2017, a move that was first announced last August. The combined firm, which totals approximately 74,000 people worldwide, will focus on three business lines: Aerospace, Technology, Environmental and Nuclear; Buildings, Infrastructure and Advanced Facilities; and Energy, Chemicals and Resources. Members of VHB’s Georgia team came together on November 10 for a BeltLine Workday. The Georgia offices adopted a segment of the Atlanta BeltLine in early 2017; part of this commitment includes regular visits to and maintenance of the trail. The VHB team spent a Friday evening removing invasive species from the wooded trail. It was a fun and challenging few hours fighting species such as Mimosa, Japanese and Chinese Privet, Thorny Olive and English Ivy. These plants, and other invasive species, create land management problems and their removal helps ensure the BeltLine’s vision of creating an urban arboretum along the Beltline Corridor. PLANT VOGTLE CONSTRUCTION TO CONTINUE AFTER GEORGIA PSC VOTE Georgia’s Public Service Commission (PSC) voted unanimously to continue construction at Georgia Power’s Plant Vogtle. The approval is pending Congress provides approximately $800 million worth of tax credits for the project and Georgia PSC can re-consider the decision if the federal tax credits are not approved. TRAVELSAFELY APP UNVEILED FOR USE ALONG THE NORTH AVENUE SMART CORRIDOR In late December 2017, city and state leaders including Renew Atlanta/ TSPLOST General Manager Faye DiMassimo, Georgia Department of Transportation Chief Engineer Meg Pirkle, Batallion 3 Chief Dwayne Johnson and former Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed joined together to unveil the TravelSafely™ smartphone application. The app uses smart technology to alert users of potentially dangerous road conditions, traffic light changes, emergency vehicles, pedestrians, bicyclists and runners approaching, and when users are speeding toward a curve or school zone. Audible alerts and spoken warnings notify motorists so users do not need their phones in hand. The tool is being used and tested along the North Avenue Smart Corridor, the 2.3 mile stretch of North Avenue from Ponce City Market to the Georgia Institute of Technology. january / february 2 018 7